Nature-Based City: Biodiversity and Climate Resilience on Urban Development

“Nature-Based Cities: Biodiversity and Climate Resilience on Urban Development” sought to promote biodiversity conservation and climate action agendas in local policies. It was implemented in the city of Belém, located in the Amazon Rainforest and one of the most important capital cities of Brazil, nominated to host the world’s Climate Conference, COP30 in 2025.

The project provided technical support from ICLEI South America to enhance city access to green funding, tools to develop participatory governance and evidence-based planning, such as ecosystem services and climate change risk and vulnerability assessment. The project also supported the municipality of Belém in participating in several regional and international events, enhancing the visibility of its climate agenda and fostering connections with key stakeholders and peer cities for collaboration.

Key activities

• Capacity building for municipal managers and technical staff on NbS and urban planning;
• Development of Ecosystem Services Diagnosis and Climate Risk and Vulnerabilities Assessment;
• Mentorship for “Polígono dos Parques” project, included in the Transformative Actions Program (TAP) pipeline;
• Participation in regional and international events to strengthen Belém’s climate agenda, disseminate the project’s achievements and connect to strategic partners.

Project achievements

• Development of technical assessments with illustrated maps and broad social participation, such as the Ecosystem Services Diagnosis and the Climate Risk and Vulnerabilities Assessment, which were used as main resources for the development of Belém’s Climate Action Plan;
• Structuring of an NbS project to receive financial support;
• Participation of Belém’s municipality in over 10 regional and international events, enhancing visibility and fostering engagement with networks and strategic partners;
• Approximately 186 people directly and indirectly reached, with 59% female participation.

Project status

Completed in January, 2025.